Gum wrapping machine



C. E. MEHLHORN EFAL GUM WRAPPING MACHINE Jan. 17, 1961 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Sepia. 16, 1959 l8 I k 2/6 @r K ,22

INVENTORS CARI. MEHLHORN FRANKL N 8.R08RT.5

(6 M M E) ATTORNEYS Jan. 17, 1961 c. E. MEHLHORN ETAL 2,968,139

GUM WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 16, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 INVENTORS CA RA. 5 MfiHl. HORN F'RA NKL IN 8 ROBAKRIS Jan. 17, 1961 c. E. MEHLHORN ETAL 2,968,139

GUM WRAPPING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 16, 1959 INVENTOR FPAML' ONLY BY CARI- A'. MEHl-HORN FRANKLIN B-RDB5R1S ATTORNEY-5 Jan. 17, 1961 c. E. MEHLHORN ETAL GUM WRAPPING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 16, 1959 IN VEN T 0R5 v CARL l MEHIHOR/Y FRANKLIN B. ROBRT$ BY W A TTORIVA' Y5 United States Patent GUM WRAPPING MACHINE Carl E. Mehlhom and Franklin B. Roberts, Springfield, Mass., assignors to Package Machinery Company, East Longmeadow, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,335

2 Claims. (Cl. 53-223) The present invention relates to improvements in the art of wrapping sticks of chewing gum and more particularly to improved wrapping mechanism for folding a wrapper about a single stick of gum in a manner obviating the need for a band which is oftentimes additionally provided in wrapping a single stick of gum.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved and simplified mechanism for wrapping single sticks of chewing gum at high rates of operation and more specifically to improve wrapping mechanism of the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,246,268-- Smith.

The above and other related objects as well as the novel features of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description of the disclosure found in the accompanying drawings and the novelty thereof pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1-10 diagrammatically illustrate successive steps in the wrapping of a single stick of gum;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the manner in which sticks of gum are transferred to a novel transport during the wrapping operation;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the transport operating mechanism;

Fig. 13 is an end elevation of the mechanism seen in Fig. 12 with the supporting frame therefor in section taken on line XIII-XIII in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation partially in section of wrapper creasing mechanism;

Fig. 15 is a view taken on line XV-XV in Fig. 14 with certain portions broken away; and

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the creasing device. a

The present invention is an improvement in the gum wrapping mechanism shown in the above-mentioned Smith patentand may be best understood by referring to Figs. 1-10 showing, in diagrammatical fashion, the successive folding operations for a single stick of gum. A stick of gum s, supported by rails 18 (Fig. 1) is advanced along a folding channel 19 by transversely spaced lugs 20 which are carried by constantly advancing chains 22. A thin wrapper w (exaggerated in the drawing) is antomatically fed in advance of the stick s (Fig. l) in proper timed relation so that one end a of the wrapper will be folded against the bottom face of the stick, while the mid portion of the wrapper is folded against the top face of the stick s and the other end b trails therebehind (Fig. 2) as the stick is advanced into the folding channel 19. The wrapper projects equally beyond both side edges of the stick s and these wrapper extensions are next tucked against the stick by narrow blades 24 upon continued advance of the stick (Fig. 3). The laterally projecting portions of the end a are next snugged upwardly against the side edges of the stick and then the wrapper extensions are folded downwardly (Fig. 4) and then inwardly with portions thereof lying against the bottom face of wrapper end a (Figs. and 6). Next the in- Figs. 5 and 6 (wrapper not shown).

1C6 Patented Jan. 17', 1961 wardly folded extensions of end b are tucked or snugged upwardly against the trailing edge of the stick s (Fig. 7) and the folded side edges creased. This brings the corners x (one only is shown) of end b inwardly as seen in Fig. 8. Next the end b is folded against the bottom of of the stick s (Figs. 9 and 10) to finish the wrapping operation. The end b may be secured to end a by cement or the like if desired. The thickness of the wrapper has been exaggerated to illustrate the various folds and in actual practice these folds are neat, compressed and tight, a fact which is not evident from the drawing.

It will be noted that only one side of the wrapper is exposed on the wrapped stick of gum, which is a great advantage in that the wrapper can be economically formed of regular white paper stock and needs to be printed on only one side in order to obtain a distinctive and pleasing decorative appearance. In this connection, it is of particular importance that the corners x, Fig. 8, be pulled inwardly, otherwise when the trailing portion of the wrapper is folded against the bottom of the stick the corners x have a tendency to project outwardly and expose the opposite side of the wrapper which would spoil the neat appearance of the wrapper seen in Fig. 10.

The method of wrapping gum, as above described, is found in the above-mentioned Smith patent. The mechanism of the Smith patent for so wrapping gum is highly effective, but suffers the disability of low operating rates which fail to match the high rates of operation of other mechanisms employed in wrapping packages of chewing gum. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to improved means for wrapping gum at high rates of operation in accordance with the above-described method. In' doing so, one principal feature is found in provision of wrapping instrumentalities arranged in a straight path along which the gum is advanced without being fed in a reverse or lateral direction.

The mechanism for folding a wrapper about a stick of um in the fashion indicated in Figs. 1-6 is essentially the same as in the said Smith patent and the same is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

The diagrammatical showing of Fig. 11 illustrates how the advance of the partially wrapped sticks of gum is converted from continuous to intermittent motion for purposes which later appear. The sticks of gum s seen in Fig. 11 are in partially wrapped condition, seen in In operation the stick of gum s will be advanced along rails 18 by the lugs 20 to the position of stick s' at which point the lugs 20 will drop away as they rotate around sprockets 23. The gum is next advanced from the position of stick s' to the position of stick s" by a pair of transversely spaced notched bars 30. The notched bars 30 are aligned with the lugs 20 and move in paths indicated by the closed loop 31. Movement of the notched bars 30 is in definite timed relation to movement of the lugs 20 as also illustrated in Fig. 11. Thus the lugs 20 and bars 30 are illustrated in full lines in their relative positions just as the notched bars 30 commence to advance the stick s'. Movement of the bars is essentially rectilinear in advancing the stick an incremental amount to the position of stick s". Thereupon the bars 30 drop away and begin their return motion to pick up the next stick of gum, as indicated by the phantom showing 30a. At this same time the lugs are in the phantom position indicated at 20a, having left the stick s in the position of stick s. The phantom positions 20b and 3% illustrate the manner in which the notched bars pass over the lugs in returning to advance the next stick 47111330 have a plurality of notches (see also Fig. 12) and each notch advances a stick of gum the same incremental distance during each cycle of movement.

Referring next to Figs. 12 and 13, the constructional features of the mounting and actuating means forthe notched bars 30 will now be described. The bars '30 ride in longitudinal slots provided between outer rails 32 and a central rail 34 (Fig. 13 only). The rails 32, 34 are appropr ately supported and are continuations of the rails 18 previously described. Advance of the sticks of gum -1s confined to a straight line path by side bars 36 and a yieldmgly mounted top plate 38. The yieldingly mounted top plate 38 is suspended from a fixed top plate 39. lilongated, spring pressed ribs 40 actually engage the sticks of gum and yieldingly press them against the rails 32, 34.

The notched bars 30 are secured by screws 62 to opposrtesides of the head of a T-shaped link 64. The link 64 is pivotally mounted on links 66, 68 by means of pins 70, 72 adjacent its upper and lower ends respectively. In detail, the pins 70, 72 are held fast in the links 66, 68 by set screws and are journaled in the link 64, with collars 74, 76 holding the link 64 on these pins. One end of the link 66 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a depending arm 78 by a pin 80. The upper end of the arm 78 is pivotally mounted on a fixed bracket 82 by a pin 84. Specifically the pin 80 has a thin head, passes through a journal in the link 66 and is held in place by a screw 86 which clamps the split lower end of arm 78. The upper end of the arm 78 is formed with a U-shaped portion 85 which embraces the upper end of bracket 82. The pin 84 is held fast by a set screw 87 in the bracket 82 and projects into journals provided in opposite legs of the U-shaped portion 85.

The corresponding end of the link 68 is pivotally mounted on the lower end of a similar depending arm "88 by a pin 90 while the arm 88 is pivotally mounted at its upper end on the lower end of bracket 82 by means of a pm 89. The pin 90 corresponds to the pin 80 and is held in place by a clampingscrew 91. The

upper end of the arm 88 is formed with a U-shaped portion 93 and the pin 89 is held in place by a set screw 95.

Referring again to the link 66 (Fig. 12), itsopposite end is pivotally connected to a crank arm 96 by means of a pin 98 which is headed and held in place by a set screw 99 in the crank arm. The crank arm is secured, by a set screw 101, to a shaft 100 which is journaled on the bracket 82. The corresponding end -of the lower link 68 is pivotally connected to a crank arm 102 by means of a pin 104 secured to the crank arm 102 by set screw 103. The crank arm 102 is secured, by a set screw 105, to a shaft 106 which is also journaled in the bracket 82.

It will be apparent from an inspection of the center distances between corresponding points of pivotal connections between these various links and arms that the T-shaped link 64 and the notched bars 30 are a part of a parallel linkage system, which means that all portions thereof move through identical paths upon simultaneous rotation of the crank arms 96 and 102.

The drive for the crank arms comprises a shaft 108 (Fig. 13) which is rotated in predetermined timed relation to the operation of the other mechanisms of the Wrapping machine including the lugs 20 above described. One end of shaft 108 is journaled in the bracket 82 and a gear 110 is keyed thereto. The gear 110 meshes with a gear 112 (Fig. 12) fast upon a shaft 114 which is held fast in the bracket 82 by a set screw 115. A sprocket 116 (see also Fig. 13) is secured to the gear 112 and these two parts are journaled on the shaft 114, being retained thereon by a collar 117. Aligned sprockets 120, 122 are secured to the crank shafts 100, 106, re-

spectively, while a fourth or idler sprocket 124 is jourbracket 153 and is journaled thereon. secured to the shaft 168 and respectively mesh with the 4 naled on a stub shaft 126. The shaft'126 is held on the bracket 82 by a set screw 128 and the sprocket 124 is retained thereon by a collar 130. A chain 132 is trained around all of these named sprockets.

Thus rotation of the shaft 108 will cause simultaneous rotation of the crank arms 96 and 102 and movement of the described parallel linkage. The notched bars 30 are constrained to move in the path indicated by the closed loop 31 in Fig. 11 and in the timed relation, relative to the lugs 20, previously described in connection with Fig. 11.

In passing it will be noted that the-frame 82 issecured to appropriate supporting members (not shown) by bolts 134. Also the bracket 82 is used for other purposes not dealing directly with the improvements of the present invention, as is evidenced by theopenings therein which have not been described.

It will be appreciated that each notch in the bars 30 normally advancesa stick of gum an incremental amount each cycle of operation. Thus there are a plurality of sticks of gum being advanced by the transport at any given time. In this fashion it is possible to'get sufiicient spacing between the folding channel 19 (described in connection with Figs. l-6) and creasing mechanism and a tumble box now to be described. This is advantageously accomplished with a high rate of feed of the sticks of gum.

Referring next to Figs. 14 and 15, there is illustrated the means of the-present invention for creasing or tucking the trailing portions of the wrapper upwardly in the fashion indicated in Figs. 7 and 8. These means comprise a pair of rolls which yieldingly bear against marginal edge portions of the partially wrapped sticks of gum at opposite sides thereof. Beneath and opposed to the rolls 150 are a air of driven rolls 152, each having a matched, raised circumferential portion 154 defined at its leading end by a radial face 155 forming a sharp edge with said raised portion. The rolls 152 are rotated in'timed relation to the advance of the sticks of gum (see Fig. 16)

leading edges of the raised portions 154 will crease the lower trailing wrapper portions upwardlyagainst the trailing edge of the stick of gum. The peripheral speed of the raised portions is, preferably, substantially the same as the rate at which the sticks are advanced by the notched bars. Thus the trailing portions are tucked upwardly and creased with the corners x drawn inwardly (Fig. 8) for the reasons above described. After the gum has passed by the rolls 150, 152, it is then further advanced by the notched bars 30.

The constructional features relatingtothe rolls 150, 152 will now be described with reference to Figs. 14 and 15. As can be seen the central supporting rail34and the outer supporting rails 32 continue past the rolls 150, 152 with the latter rails being cut away to give clearance for the rolls 152. A U-shaped bracket 153 is secured to therails 32 by screws 158. The top plate is also cutaway to provide clearance for the upper rolls 150.

The rolls 152 are rotatably mounted on-headed pins which are held in place on the bracket 156 by set screws. A gear 162 is pinned to .each roll 152 and rotates therewith. Idler gears 164 are mounted on stub shafts "166 projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the bracket 153 and mesh with the gears 162. A shaft 168 spans the Gears 170 are gears 164. A driving gear 172 meshes with one of the gears 170 and drives the rolls 152 in the above described timed relation to the advance of the sticks of gum.

The rolls 150 are rotatably mounted, by means of ball bearings on stub shafts 174 projecting from opposite ends of a block 176 with collars 178 axially locating the rolls 150. The block 176 is pivotally mounted on a stud '1'80 projecting from a plate 182 with a collar 184 holding the block 176 thereon. The plate 182 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 186. Screws 188 are threaded into the fixed plate 39 and clamp theshaft 186 against blocks 192 at each end thereof. A shoulder screw 194 passes through a centrally disposed clearance hole in the plate 182 and is threaded into the fixed top plate 39. A spring 196 is confined between nuts 198 on the screw 194 and the plate 182 and urges the latter member downwardly. It will be noted that the stud 180 is centrally disposed of the block 176 so that the force of the spring 196 is equally transmitted to each of the rolls 150. Screws 200 are threaded through the block 176 and bear against the top plate 190 to limit the downward movement of the rolls 150.

After passing beyond the creasing device, the sticks of gum are successively introduced by the bars 30 (see also Fig. 16) into a tumble box 202 which is intermittently rotated by 90 increments in timed relation to the advance of the sticks of gum. Thus each stick s will be introduced into an aligned slot 204. The tumble box will then be rotated to crease or break the trailing wrapper portions about the rear edge of the stick of gum as it passes beneath a curved plate 206.

Thereafter a pusher 208 will carry each stick between top and bottom plates 210, 212 pressing wrapper end b against end a to complete the wrapping operation. The constructional details of the tumble box are found in the US. Patent No. 2,276,744 where a different type of wrapper is being formed.

After this single stick wrapping is finished the gum may then be collated and wrapped in packs of five, this being the usual practice.

The described straight line wrapping machine gives a superior wrapper at rates of operation which have hitherto been unobtainable for this particular type of wrapper. The described embodiment will suggest modifications within the ordinary skill of the art and the scope of the invention is therefore to be derived from the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed the invention what is claimed as novel and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a gum wrapping machine comprising a folding channel having means for folding a wrapper about a stick of gum with one end lying against the bottom face of the gum and the other end trailing therebehind and with the marginal edge portions of the wrapper extending beyond each side of the stick, and means for tucking and folding the marginal wrapper portions against the bottom face of the stick with inwardly folded marginal portions of said other end also trailing said folding channel having rails positioning the sticks of gum relative to the folding means, and a conveyor for advancing sticks of gum through said folding channel, said conveyor comprising a pair of transversely spaced chains, lugs secured thereto for engaging the sticks of gum and advancing them along said rails and a pair of sprockets adjacent the end of the folding channel around which the chains pass, a transport aligned with said folding channel and having rails which serve as continuations of the folding channel rails and means for advancing, in step-by-step fashion, the partially wrapped sticks of gum along the transport rails after they have been delivered thereto by said conveyor, said transport advancing means comprising a pair of transversely spaced bars having a plurality of matched notches and means for moving said bars in a path wherein the notches engage the trailing edges of the sticks of gum and advance them along the transport rails, the path of movement of said bars being a closed loop wherein the bars move in rectilinear fashion as they advance the sticks and then drop below the level of the gum as they are returned to engage the next succeeding sticks of gum, a pair of vertically overlying rolls mounted on each side and outwardly of the notched bars with the axis of the rolls horizontal and transverse to the path of movement of the sticks of gum, each upper roll having the lower extent of its periphery in the plane of the upper portion of the partially wrapped wrappers and each lower roll having a raised arcuate segment with a sharp leading edge for pressing the inwardly folded wrapper portion against the trailing edge of the stick of gum and thereafter creasing said folded trailing wrapper portion, said raised segment being closely spaced relative to said upper roll and means for rotating the lower rolls in timed relation to the movement of the notched bars so as to properly crease the wrapper, a rotatable tumble box at the terminal end of said transport for receiving the sticks therefrom, means for advancing the stick from said tumble box after it has been rotated and completing the wrapping operation as the stick is advanced in the same direction as it had been advanced by the transport.

2. A gum wrapping machine as in claim 1 wherein the upper rolls are mounted on a cross arm which is pivotal about a central longitudinal axis and the cross arm is upwardly yieldable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,634,711 Ferguson July 5, 1927 1,989,385 Smith Jan. 29, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS I 575,080 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1946 

